Hillary Rodham Clinton stepped down in February as Obama’s chief diplomat after serving in that role throughout his first term.

On Wednesday, Obama shared another notable meal with a dozen Republican senators near the White House. He had lunch Thursday with Paul Ryan, the Republican chairman of the House Budget Committee, and Chris Van Hollen, the committee’s top Democrat.

Those meals are part of a broader attempt by Obama to improve relations with congressional Republicans in hopes of jumpstarting budget talks and rallying support for other proposals.